OCR Text |
Show DECLARATION OF ! UNITED SllltS CHEEHiTBI i Premier Lloyd George ! Praises President's Address; Ad-dress; Phrases Will Stand Forever. ASQUITH GIVES OUT STATEMENT Declares America Has Been Forced Into Struggle Because Be-cause There Was No Other Outlet. LONDON", April 6, 6:20 p. m. Premier Pre-mier Lloyd George today gave to the American newspapers, on behalf of the war cabinet, the following: America has at one bound became a world power in a sense she never was before. She waited until she , found a cause worthy of her traditions. tradi-tions. The American people held back until they were fully convinced con-vinced that the fight was not a sor. did scrimmage for power and possesions, pos-sesions, but an unselfish struggle to overthrow a sinister conspiracy against human liberty and human rights. Once that conviction was reached the great republic of the west has leaped into the arena and she stands now side by side with the European democracies who, bruised and bleeding bleed-ing after three years of grim conflict, con-flict, are still fighting the most sav- ' age foe that ever menaced the freedom free-dom of the world. Goal Made Clear. The glowing phrases of the president presi-dent 's noble deliverance illumine the horizon and make clearer than ever the goal we are striving to reach. There are three phrases which will stand out forever in the story of this crusade. . The first is that ' the world must be safe for democracy," democ-racy," the next, "the menaee to peace and freedom lies in the existence exist-ence of autocratic governments backed by organized force, which is controlled wholly by their will and not by the will of their people," and the crowning phrase is that in which he declares that "a steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained, except by the partnership partner-ship of democratic nations.'' Rests Upon Democracy. These words represent the faith which inspires and sustains our peo-pie peo-pie in the tremendous sacrifices they have made and are still making. mak-ing. They also believe that the unity and peace of mankind can only rest on those who submit to authority to have a. voice in their own government; upon respect for the rights and liberties of nations both great and small and upon the universal dominion of public right. To all of these the Prussian military mil-itary autocracy is an implacable foe. The imperial war cabinet, representative repre-sentative of all the peoples of the British empire, wish me on their behalf to recognize the chivalry and courage whu-h call- the people of the United States to dedicate the whole of their resources to the greatest cause that ever engaged human endeavor. Asquith's Statement. Former Premier Asquith has given the following statement to the Associated Asso-ciated Press in connection with the entry en-try of the United States into the war: There is not a man among us who does not breathe more freely now that he knows that through the. action ac-tion of the president ana congress of the United States the whole English-speaking race is to fight as comrades side by side in the most momentous struggle in history. The president's speech will live in the annals of eloquence as a worthy and noble exposition of the grounds and the aims of a great national resolve. The people of the United States have been forced as the United Kingdom was forced into a struggle which in neither case was of our own seeking. They have realized as we have realized that, the choice lay between peace with humiliation and war with honor. There was no middle course for armed neutrality, as the president points out with irresistible ir-resistible cogency, affords no secure or powerful foothold. Had No Choice. The provocation offered in the two cases was different, but in both the challenge was one which neither nation couid refuse to take up without with-out the sacrifice of its self-respect and without the betrayal of the sacred trust which is imposed upon all free peoples to uphold the defense de-fense of liberty and humanity. Never had the fundamental issues which at stake has been started with more precision or with a greater elevation of thought and language than in the president'? address"! The present German warfare, he points I out. is a war agajnt all nations and i the animating motives of the allies, by whose side ho invites his fellow countrymen to range themselves, is not vindictiveness. but vindication the vindication of those human rights which are the common interest inter-est and the natural bv.d of the whole family of civik; societies. To this trrent punm?? the American Ameri-can peonie now dedicate their lives and fortune? as we have already dedieat-1-! ours ennc-inue that tliev are lis-tenin' to ant obeying cne oi thr.se supreme rn!i. which cone b".t ra'-eiv in hitnry. but whi'h when t'p.ev come poind iti the eas of a enrrnvmitv of free men with a ne'e of lmre-inu demand. The r.re-ident urces nron his fellow fel-low citizrp.5 the utmost tracheal c - operation in counsel with the allies and promises every form of effective effec-tive help that America can provide. pro-vide. We on this side of the Atlantic At-lantic acknowledge his appeal and his assurance with profound sympathy sym-pathy and gratitude. 'e have never presumed to dictate or even to suggest sug-gest to our kinsmen in the United States what their course should be, but we have in our hearts or hearts longed that, the time might - come when their strength would be joined with ours in a struggle so consonant to all that is best in our common instincts and traditions. That day has now dawned and we believe that its sun shall not set until the two great English-speaking democracies can rejoice together, to-gether, as fellow workers and fellow fel-low combatants, over the triumphs of freedom and of right. A. H." AQriTII. |